Singapore
Singapore is an island country located off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Consisting of 66 islands, the country itself is a single city-state. Singapore is seperated from the Malay Peninsula by the narrow Strait of Johor. The country is almost completely urban area with very little of the original rainforest remaining, but the country, instead of destroying their remaining forested area, is using land reclamation. Singapore is one of the world's largest financial centres and is one of the busiest ports in the world. Strategically places between China and India, it is the fastest naval route between the two, as well as between China and Europe. The economy is heavily based on manufacturing and is very dependent on exports. History Singapore was first inhabitted in second century AD by one of the local tribes in the region. It was never a major port until the British bought it in 1819. From then on, Singapore grew rapidly to become a major trading centre and major British military outpost. During WWII, Singapore was captured and occupied by Imperial Japanese Forces. Despite being a maj or military fortress, the Japenese won the Battle of Singapore with relative ease. Sir Winston Churchill described it as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". The Japanese murdered between 5 000-25 000 Chinese civilians over the course of the occupation until it was repossessed by the British in 1945, following Japanese surrender. On 31 August, 1963, Singapore seceeded from the British Empire and helped form Malaysia. Shortly after, Singapore declared independence from Malaysia and became the self-governing city-state it remains today. Economy Singapore's fantastic financial condition is a result of being a major British port and naval base back in the days of the empire. Singapore, at the time, had the largest dry docks in the world and was nicknamed "The Gibraltar of the East". Once the Suez Canal opened, Singapore experienced a trading boom and the economy was growing rapidly. Singapore is a market-based economy and about 2/3rds of it is service based. It is often rated as one of the best, most competitive, strongest and most business-friendly economies in the world. Singapore has the highest percentage of millionaires in the world, with about 1/6th of the population having at least 1 million dollars of exposable income. Singapore ranks second only to Hong Kong for most business-friendly country in the world and this has benefitted the country very well. Singapore is known for its low taxes and low tariffs. For this reason, it has become the 'shipping' headquarters for many industries such as Radcliffe Industries. Aside from the industrial district, Singapore has a massive financial district with tons of skyscrapers looming over the colonial village. Thanks to the low taxes and pro-business environment, many major businesses and banks have chosen their headquarters location in Singapore. Most of the people running these businesses live in the colonial village, as it is seen as the most luxurious and most expensive place in the city-state. Singapore has no minimum wage, meanwhile having one of the highest GDP per capita's in the world. As well as this, Singapore has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, hovering at 2.2%. The unemployment rate for young people, however, remains at 15.6%. Government Singaporeans enjoy a parliamentary democracy which is elected by the people of Singapore. Parliament is located in the colonial village and is formerly where the British would run the government. Sitting right on the coast, the building itself is beautiful and has an amazing view both out at sea and at the Singapore skyline itself. The land within the walls of the Parliament which was unused serves as a small park.